School: Kilnaleck (C.)

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1. May Day Customs (continued)

   

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   to carry a lighted sod out of the house or to borrow fire in any way. And no strange hand was allowed to milk the cow for if the first can was filled in the name of the devil there would be no more milk for the family that year it would be all taken away secretly by the fairies. During the first three days of May it was necessary to take great precautions against the fairies entering the house for if once they gained admittance they worked mischief. They would come disguised as old women or wayfarers in order to steal a burning coal a most fatal theft or to carry off the herbs of power that were always gathered on May morning with the dew on them. But the best preventitive against fairies or demon power was to scatter primroses on the threshold for no fairy could pass this flower and the house and household were left in peace though all the strangers were looked upon with great suspicion. At the great long dance which was held on May Day all the people held hands and danced round a tall May bush erected on a mound, the girls wearing garlands while, the pipers and harpers with gold and green sashes, directed

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. events
      1. events (by time of year) (~11,476)
         1. May (~639)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Rosetta Reilly

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Coolkill, Co. Cavan

   Informant

   Mrs Reilly

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   45

   Address

   Coolkill, Co. Cavan